DURHAM — In her speech on Wednesday, Gov. Maggie Hasson made clear her hope to restore funding for higher education by recommending in her budget proposal an increase in funding on behalf of in-state students to $75 million in Fiscal Year 2014 and $90 million in Fiscal Year 2015.

The proposed change would also mean more affordable higher education in the state.

University of New Hampshire President Mark Huddleston and Granite State College President Todd Leach, along with the presidents of Plymouth State University and Keene State College have “committed to using the funds proposed by the governor to freeze in-state tuitions for the two years of the biennium, as well as to increase substantially need-based and merit aid” for students from the state, according to a press release issued by the USNH and Chancellor Ed MacKay.

“We need to make it possible for our middle-class families to compete and share in the American dream,” Hassan said in her speech, citing rising tuition rates as the reason why many families are forced to avoid considering the state's public colleges and universities.

She said those issues are not only hurting pockets, but are hurting the state's competitiveness.

“If we hope to encourage job creation and innovative economic growth, we cannot keep losing our young people or fail to develop our workforce,” Hassan said.

Huddleston said he was happy to hear Hassan's intentions.

“I am very pleased that Governor Hassan has recommended beginning to restore funding for UNH and the state's other four-year public colleges and universities,” he said.

He said in addition to making a college education more affordable, the effort will also have long-term benefits improving the state's economy, attracting new business, and providing new jobs for residents.

“The governor's commitment to affordable and accessible higher education is crucial to the future of this state and its people, and we look forward to continuing to partner with her in this effort,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of the state's four, four-year colleges, Leach said the group is “grateful to Governor Hassan for her leadership in re-establishing public higher education as a priority for the future of New Hampshire.”

“Our students and their families deserve this investment, and all New Hampshire citizens will benefit. We look forward to working with the governor and the Legislature to restore the budget fully as soon as fiscally possible,” he said.

In-state students attending public four-year colleges and universities saw state funding at $100 million until 2011. It was then cut sharply to $51 million, or roughly 6 percent, of the operating budgets of the four institutions. Currently state funding for instate students is at $55 million. Over the past decade, the state's subsidy to each four-year public college and university student in the state fell by $5,000 to less than $600 per year, according to figures from the USNH.

Seventy-one percent of residents favored restoring the state's appropriation to public higher education, particularly if doing so could yield a freeze in in-state tuition during the biennium, according to a Granite State poll conducted in August.